Pinebluff, NC Municipal and More

Wake County schools grapple with how to remember students who died by suicide

Editor’s note: This story contains discussions about suicide and self-harm, a topic that will be disturbing to some readers. If you are having thoughts of suicide or other mental health struggles, call or text 988 for a 24/7 hotline. The Wake County school system is trying to find the line between recognizing students and school employees who die by suicide without glamorizing it and potentially causing others to engage in self-harm. The Wake school board is trying to develop a new policy to standardize how schools deal with memorials and grief support. The new policy would apply to all deaths, but the challenging point is how to handle memorials for students and employees whose death was caused by suicide. “A big risk when we glamorize suicide, we do things that suggest to our very vulnerable teens that that’s an option,” Corliss Thompson-Drew, Wake’s director of school psychology, told the school board’s policy committee this week. “We have phenomena that’s called suicide contagion, which is essentially we see suicides popping up in a cluster area, and that’s not what we want for our students. “We want our students to know that when they are stressed, suicide is not a normal response.”

Wake County, NC · 7d

jocoreport.com

Parents, Residents Can Challenge School Materials Under New JCPS Policy

SMITHFIELD — Johnston County parents, teachers and residents will have a new process for challenging books and other materials used in public schools. The Johnston County Board of Education approved revisions to two policies during its Oct. 13 meeting, bringing the district’s rules in line with new state requirements.

Johnston County, NC · 7d

WRAL News

Johnston Co. residents lose water, power and internet during fiber line construction

Residents of the Adams Point neighborhood near Garner say they have lost water, power and internet for periods of time over the last week. They blame ongoing construction to install a T-Mobile fiber line. Multiple residents reached out to WRAL about their frustrations. One woman said in a text message...

Garner, NC · 7d

Raleigh News & Observer

Did a campaign mailer go too far? NC candidate files defamation suit

A candidate running to represent Lee County in the state legislature filed a defamation lawsuit against a political action committee over campaign mailers that claim he owns and operates an illegal gambling business. Charles Taylor, a Republican, alleged in the lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Sandhills Citizens Alliance distributed mailers “falsely asserting” that Taylor operates the business and is part of an ongoing state investigation. Taylor, a Sanford City Council member, last week sent the group a cease-and-desist letter demanding a retraction, according to the defamation lawsuit. One mailer states that Taylor “owns an illegal gambling operation,” is “running a casino just a half mile from a Lee County Middle School” and “is under a state ethics investigation.” Taylor in the lawsuit asserts that he owns the property, “but not the tenant’s business,” and that Taylor does not “own, manage or operate that business.” The lawsuit, filed in Lee County Superior Court, also notes that a private citizen previously submitted an ethics complaint to the North Carolina State Ethics Commission. The commission said it “lacked jurisdiction to investigate him” because Taylor is not a legislator, and that no formal investigation had begun, according to the lawsuit. Taylor in the lawsuit

Lee County, NC · 8d

Raleigh News & Observer

NCDOT begins work on another new railroad bridge, this time in Wake Forest

The N.C. Department of Transportation is gradually eliminating railroad crossings in Wake County, as it begins building a new passenger rail link between Raleigh, Richmond, Virginia, and the Northeast. Now that effort reaches Wake Forest, where construction begins soon on a bridge that will carry Rogers Road over the railroad tracks that Amtrak trains will use in the future. The $46.2 million bridge is one of four NCDOT is building to eliminate busy rail crossings along the so-called S-line, a rail corridor built in the 19th century that now sees a couple of slow-moving CSX freight trains per day. The federal government has pledged $1.1 billion to help NCDOT lay new tracks capable of carrying fast passenger trains between downtown Raleigh and Wake Forest, the first leg of a line that will eventually extend into Virginia. Blythe Construction of Charlotte was awarded the contract to build the bridge and can begin work as soon as Nov. 30. NCDOT expects the span will be open to traffic by the fall of 2030. Rogers Road will remain open throughout construction, though traffic will be shifted onto temporary lanes at times, according to spokeswoman Kim Deaner. “Residents and businesses will continue to have

Wake Forest, NC · 8d

WRAL News

"It has been a nightmare": Raleigh approves permit for Oakwood Halloween House

The City of Raleigh has approved a special event permit for the display known as the Oakwood Halloween House, ending a weeks long back and forth over preserving the 15-year tradition and managing crowd safety. "My Halloween's been happening for the last two weeks," organizer Jesse Jones said. "It has...

Raleigh, NC · 7d

WRAL News

partner publisher · 3.3K followers

NC House candidate sues political group, saying it made false claims about him

A North Carolina House candidate is suing a political group, accusing it of spreading false claims about his involvement with a purported gambling business in Lee County. Sanford City Councilman Charles Taylor, a Republican running for the House District 51 seat, filed the lawsuit this week against Sandhills Citizens Alliance.

Lee County, NC · 7d

The Enterprise

Wilkins earns recognition through UNC School of Government

Nash County Commissioner Gwen Wilkins has earned the Mentor Recognition Level in the Local Elected Leaders Academy through UNC’s School of Government.

Nash County, NC · 7d

WRAL News

Chatham County Commissioners approve two items in special meeting on data centers

In a special meeting Thursday afternoon, Chatham County leaders voted unanimously to change a zoning ordinance so that language about data centers could be added. Leaders say this is an important step for the county in setting clear language that addresses data centers. The county board also voted to schedule a public hearing to address them.

Chatham County, NC · 7d

mindfullyamerican.com

6 Things That Make North Carolinians in Charlotte and Raleigh Roll Their Eyes at Each Other

Ask someone in Charlotte about Raleigh, or the other way around, and you’ll likely get a grin and an opinion. North Carolinians in both cities have their talking points ready, and neither side is shy about sharing them. Here’s where the friendly feud tends to flare up. 1....

Charlotte, NC · 11d

raleighmag.com

Raleigh Approves GoRaleigh Station Study

Following ongoing concerns over the state of GoRaleigh’s Moore Square bus station, plans are now in motion to rethink DTR transit. At its Oct. 6 meeting, City Council approved a Mobility Hubs Study that will examine potential improvements to the existing station—or whether a new DTR facility or decentralized approach makes more sense. Consultant WSP USA Inc. will evaluate up to three strategies: improving the existing GoRaleigh station through crime prevention and environmental design; identifying alternative Downtown locations; and exploring a distributed facility model. The broader study will also look into Raleigh’s hub-and-spoke network versus grid system, including opportunities for cross-town connections that bypass Downtown altogether. The City of Raleigh Department of Transportation expects to return to Council with initial recommendations in six to nine months.

Raleigh, NC · 8d

Raleigh News & Observer

Popular Wake County preserve along the Neuse River gets a little bigger

The Triangle Land Conservancy has acquired another 69 mostly forested acres along the Neuse River in southeastern Wake County that will allow it to expand a nature preserve laced with walking and off-road bike trails. The land abuts the 447-acre Bailey and Sarah Williamson Preserve off Old Country Mial Road as well as the Neuse River Greenway Trail near where it crosses into Johnston County and becomes the Clayton River Walk. The Clayton section of trail passes through 329 acres owned by the state and leased by the town for trails that extend from the Williamson Preserve. The conservancy also holds an easement that will prevent development of 290 acres across the river, helping maintain a forested oasis in one of the fastest-growing areas in the state. “It’s great to have this huge contiguous hub of open space,” said Leigh Ann Hammerbacher, the group’s director of conservation for the east side the Triangle. TLC will eventually develop trails through the pine and hardwood forests on what it calls the Williamson Neuse River Connector. In the meantime, it provides a natural buffer along Williamson’s existing trail system and the Neuse River Greenway Trail, which passes through it. TLC paid $1.4 million

Wake County, NC · 9d

hoodline.com

Downtown Cary Could Get 400 Apartments as Developer Eyes East Chatham Street

A longtime Cary landowner wants to bring as many as 400 apartments to a 3.6-acre stretch of East Chatham Street in downtown Cary, folding in ground-floor retail, resident amenities and a parking deck on land where a Subway and Circus restaurant once stood. The project is still a concept, not a formal filing, and it would need the town's blessing before a single wall goes up.

Cary, NC · 9d

raleighmag.com

Raleigh Zoning Limits What Can Open Next Door

Are Raleigh’s zoning laws protecting neighborhood charm—or zoning it out?. Raleigh loves to talk about preserving neighborhood character. But here’s the irony: Some of the very places that give our favorite neighborhoods theirs might not be allowed under today’s zoning laws. From corner groceries to neighborhood...

Raleigh, NC · 8d

WRAL News

Rescued chihuahuas begin recovery after Wake County animal cruelty case

Nineteen dogs that were rescued from a Wake County home are now receiving medical care and showing signs of progress in foster homes throughout the Triangle. One of the dogs, Chickpea, underwent emergency dental surgery on Monday. "They ended up pulling nine teeth, but now she is eating like a...

Wake County, NC · 8d

raleighmag.com

Inside Wake Tech’s New Fire and Rescue Training Center

Practicing for the worst-case scenario—before it’s real. As Raleigh’s skyline rises, the emergencies firefighters train for are getting taller too. Enter Wake Tech Community College’s new Fire and Rescue Training Center, set to open in 2027 on its Eastern Wake Campus in Wendell—giving Triangle first responders a place to practice for the kinds of multistory emergencies that are nearly impossible to recreate on the ground.

Wake County, NC · 8d

wunc.org

publisher · 9.9K followers

Homecoming, Halloween, and a marathon: Raleigh braces for a mega-weekend

It's one of the busiest weekends of the year in Raleigh. N.C. State's Homecoming football game against California will kick off at noon on Saturday. Later that night, people will flock to the downtown area to celebrate Halloween. And if you thought the crowds were big for those two events,...

Raleigh, NC · 8d

Country Herald

North Carolina Weather: Raleigh Thanksgiving Rain or Snow as Wetter Pattern Returns Nov. 14-27?

RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina is heading into November with temperatures approaching 80 degrees around Raleigh, but a changing NOAA precipitation outlook is putting Thanksgiving holiday travel, rain and the possibility of late-season cold weather into focus.

Raleigh, NC · 6d

spectrumlocalnews.com

Raleigh preps for Halloween festivities

Raleigh and Charlotte put safety measures in effect to protect the public for Halloween and long term. Before the ghouls and goblins take over Raleigh this weekend, general managers and owners are preparing for monster crowds on Glenwood South. Wes Alexander has seen it over the years and is the...

Raleigh, NC · 6d

takemetotn.com